Posted 14 January 2019
Vox has published a brief article accompanied by an informative four-minute YouTube video explaining that unless you are a heroin addict or are at risk of alcohol poisoning, you probably don’t need a ‘detox.’
Belluz J, Haubursin C. Products that promise “detox” are a sham. Yes, all of them. Vox. Jan 2, 2019
… Read the restPosted 03 September 2018
‘Appetite suppressant’ lollipops and ‘detox’ teas have been promoted by the company’s hand-selected celebrities and Instagram models.
The product for sale – 35 calories worth of flavored cane sugar laced with an extract of saffron that supposedly curbs hunger – sparked immediate backlash for a company that had built its brand selling so-called “detox” teas. Good Place actor Jameela Jamil called out Kim Kardashian West for promoting the lollipops to her 116 million Instagram followers (“You terrible and toxic influence on young girls,” Jamil tweeted), and more than 100,000 people signed an online petition calling for the billboard’s removal.
“Dietary supplements sold for detox or weight loss are snake oil, plain and simple,” said Dr S Bryn Austin, a Harvard Medical School professor who specializes in eating disorder risks. “The liver and kidneys already do the the so-called detox and adding junk products into … Read the rest
Posted 13 June 2018
No evidence to support claimed weight loss.
By Zongile Nhlapo HuffPost South Africa 05/06/2018
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned advertising for yet another weight-loss product from “Herbex — Fat Burn Concentrate for Men”.
The original complainant in the matter, medical doctor and consumer activist Harris Steinman, argued that a commercial by the company implied that using the products could result in weight loss‚ which was unsubstantiated and misleading.
“The European Food Safety Authority has found that‚ even at greater doses than those used in Fat Burn‚ there is no causal relationship between these products and weight loss,” Steinman told Business Live.
“Herbex Fat Burn Concentrate for Men essentially claims that diluting between 7 percent to 50 percent of a green tea bag and half a cup of coffee in one litre
Posted 7 June 2018
Following the recent ASA ruling against the claims being made in the Herbex – Fat Burn advert on MNET, a number of journalists have reported on this ruling.
These include the following:
Posted 31 May 2018
In our post of 8th May 2018, Herbex Fat Burn for Men – paying for nothing, we pointed out that this product contains 3 ingredients. We measured the level of green tea constituents in a lab, and could work out that, as we stated:
In other words, Herbex Fat Burn claims that a mixture of about half a bag of green tea leaves, caffeine found in 7.5 mls of a cup of coffee, and Ginseng traditionally used to stimulate appetite, added to 1 litre of water to be drunk throughout the day, will result in weight loss.
In other words, this product is highly unlikely to have much more than a placebo effect.
A complaint was laid with the Advertising Standards Authority. Herbex refused to submit any evidence to contradict ours. Below is the ruling.
… Read the restPosted 5 May 2018
Herbex is flighting an advert on MNET during the Carte Blanche program for Herbex Fat Burn for Men.
 |  |
In the form of an animated cartoon, it shows an overweight man crashing off a roof. The inference and promotion for Herbex Fat Burn for men range is the clear goal of this advert, therefore making the claim that the Herbex Fat Burn for Men range can result in weight-loss.
Herbex Fat Burn Concentrate for Men attributes its claims to three main ingredients: Guarana, Green tea leaves and Siberian ginseng.
… Read the restPosted 25 April 2018
GroundUp recently published the article “How a journalist took an ethical stand and risked her job” pertaining to the journalist Natasha Bolognesi who “refused to edit a bogus article” on the WAVEEX product for Daleen Totten, owner, publisher and editor of Natural Medicine.
This resulted in many comments, including one from Dr Frank Muller (“a medical doctor and a pharmacologist”) who writes “as the formulator of most of the Herbex range of products“. His letter drew a response from Annika Larsson, to which he responded.
Dr Muller’s letter is very informative on his thinking about Herbex products. When challenged, his response is interesting, and how he evades an adequate answer. I post these 3 letters as they are reveal how little science or “proof” went into developing these products.
Dr Jacques Rousseau who teaches critical thinking & ethics at the University of … Read the rest
Posted 11 April 2018
Advertising Standards Authority uses its fangs again after years of litigation
By Annie Cebulski and Eryn Scannell
Published on 10 April 2018 in GroundUp
The Advertising Standards Association (ASA) has ruled against an advertisement run by Herbex for its Attack the Fat product. The association will instruct its members not to run the advertisement. This comes after medical doctor and consumer activist Dr Harris Steinman laid a complaint against Herbex for its lack of evidence of efficacy. Herbex chose not to participate in the ASA investigation.
On 29 March, the ASA found Herbex to be in violation of its standards code for using testimonials claiming efficacy which were not justified.
… Read the restPosted 10 April 2018
We missed this story in Times Live, written by Nivashni Nair and published on 26 January 2018.
Posted 08 April 2018
Herbex has responded to the recent ASA ruling by issuing a media statement.
This post is in 3 parts:
1. A Times Live article reflecting on Herbex’s media statement
2. Herbex’s media release
3. Comment on the release
ASA not mandated to comment on ‘complementary medicine’: Herbex
